FanPost

The Cardinal Guide To Atlanta

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Cards fans, you knew this was coming. Welcome to fabulous Trezlanta, Georgia. As you head down to the Gorgui Dome for this Saturday and Monday's games for your National Title, we hope this post and the discussion below will provide some help for places to eat, drink, and unwind on your visit to the Empire City of the South.

As a precaution, this post focuses predominantly on areas around the Gorgui Dome (downtown), but the Atlanta region is one of the most populous in the nation (and not like "Metro Louisville"... think Lexington being to Louisville as what Louisville is like to Atlanta... or maybe even Owensboro to Louisville... this city is huge). So, give this a good read and enjoy your stay in the Peach City!

GETTING HERE and PARKING:

  • Driving: The Florida trips have probably trained you by now, but take I-65 to Nashville (look at the Batman tower on the way), veer on to I-24(E) to Chattanooga, then take I-75(S) to Atlanta. Once in town, drive in a carpool lane even if you're by yourself and take exit 249(C) to Williams Street, turn right onto Ivan Allen Blvd, left onto Northside Drive, and left onto Georgia Dome Drive.
    • You could also try taking I-64 through Lexington to I-75, just so you can harass Michigan fans coming down that way for more miles of road. You also get to see Knoxville, a place noted for not being the home of Charlie Strong. It's about 45 minutes longer to take this route.
  • Airport: Tickets are going fast, but if you're flying into ATL either take the MARTA, a cab, or if renting a car take I-85(N) to where it merges with I-75, continue north to Fulton Street (exit 246), turn left on Fulton, right onto Windsor (which becomes Spring), left on Mitchell, and right onto Magnum.
    • You could also ship yourself via UPS, which employs roughly 150% of Louisvillians and is headquartered in Atlanta.
  • Parking: There are several parking lots around the Georgia Dome, all with different directions to them. There is also plenty of city parking around town. Atlanta is a car city, and despite its massive size it does cars pretty well.

TICKETS:

First of all, if you've waited until now you're probably hosed. Last year, we were the first team in the Final Four that Saturday afternoon, so we bought up all the cheap seats before the ticket prices went up. This year, we were the last team in and got hosed (that top-seeding thing really didn't pan out for us, did it?). So, prices are going for about $500 for all event, but here's a list of some ticketing sites:

I'd pay attention to all these sites, particularly the Craigslist site, to see if prices change. If you can't make it this Saturday, check out that night and early Sunday morning for disgruntled Shockers fans and Orange/Wolverine fans to get tickets for OUR title game. Or just hop in a car and hope for the best... scalping is the free market at its finest, and Atlanta is basically a giant ode to capitalism.

GRUB:

Fancy Pants

You live in a 5,000 square foot home in Anchorage, wear a polo or sweater to every game, leave your seats early (asshole!), and only eat at the finest of places. Well, Atlanta has you covered!

  • We have a Mortons! It's at 303 Peachtree Avenue
  • Nikolai's Rooftop, 225 Courtland... it's some Eastern European thing. I thought they ate boiled shoes or something.
  • BLT Steak, 45 Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd, near the stadium and it has friggin BLTs and Steak in its name
  • Atlanta Grill, 161 Peachtree Center Avenue... every third street in this city has the word "peach" in it
  • Ray's in the City, 240 Peachtree St, noted for seafood fixin's
  • Also check out UrbanSpoon

Just Pants

You're a gal who likes to have silverware when she eats but would prefer not to go bankrupt, or you're a fella that likes a few beers and a healthy 3,000 calories dinner. If that's the case, these might be your kinda hang-out spots:

  • Sweet Georgia's Juke Joint, 200 Peachtree Street
  • Baltimore Crab & Seafood, 253 Peter's St
  • Mangos Caribbean Restaurant, 180 Auburn Ave
  • Georgia Peach Restaurant and Lounge, 50 Lower Alabama St
  • Barley's Sports Bar and Lounge, 338 Peachtree St (maybe just walk down this Peachtree street, there are a ton of venues there... though there are about six different streets named Peachtree, so good luck!).
  • Hard Rock Cafe, 215 Peachtree St... because heaven forbid that you forget to get a shirt for your Aunt Trish, who now has come to cherish these t-shirt purchases you make for her because she has no other way to bond with you... I just made myself really sad.
  • Also check out UrbanSpoon, again

No Pants

This will happen after we win the National Championship. The fact you're even wearing pants while reading this is offensive. But, say hunger hits when you're in Georgia. Normally, being pantless would be a problem, but thankfully you're in the South! So, when you're toasting the Cards' victory and need some grease in your belly, try these places out:

  • The Varsity, 61 North Ave... it's an Atlanta tradition, you should go there
  • Lunacy's Black Market, 231 Mitchell St...near the stadium
  • Bottle Rocket, 180 Walker St... also near the stadium
  • Barbeque Works, 121 Central Ave
  • Jamal's Buffalo Wings, 10 Northside Drive
  • Elliot's Street Deli and Pub, 51 Elliot St
  • Again, check out UrbanSpoon

NOTE: I don't know anything about "bad" neighborhoods in Atlanta, and as a Louisville fan currently living in Lexington I have an aversion to people who typecast any neighborhood as being "bad," but it might be best to go with the herd mentality and stay in large groups when heading out. Also, head east from the Georgia Dome toward the skyscrapers.

DRINKS and CLUBS:

First, please read the above note about my lack of knowledge of the area. Basically, head east toward the city and be in a big crown, and you'll have a good time. Also, don't start a fight with a Wichita State fan by drunkenly flashing a "shocker" sign at them... they do that fine themselves.

For Beer Lovers:

Atlanta has been burned down and redeveloped so many times that downtown is basically one big Applebees, and there are plenty of places to duck in to for a beer. The area just east of the stadium and all along Peachtree Street is packed with places to dine and grab a brew (see above in the "just pants" section). Also, most fancier hotels around the city have bars as well. Just as long as they don't run out of bourbon like they did in NOLA during the Sugar Bowl, I won't riot. Now, some places:

  • Gordon Biersch, 848 Peachtree Street
  • Noni's Bar and Deli, 357 Edgewood Avenue
  • Stats, 300 Marietta Street
  • Check out Metromix- Atlanta
  • Peachtree Street in downtown has numerous sports bars, see above in the "Just Pants" section

For Dance Lovers:

  • Amsterdam Atlanta, 502 Amsterdam Ave... this is not the real Amsterdam, so probably shouldn't smoke pot and do heroine there. Jail in Georgia is not a good place to be.
  • Burkhart's- 1492 Piedmont Ave
  • Bazzaar- 654 Peachtree St., advertised as a "European-style" lounge for all comers. They also let in Hipsters... uhg! (serious question, has this come full circle now? Is it now annoyingly ironic to roll one's eyes at hipsters?).
  • Bulldog's, 893 Peachtree St... it's a gay bar, btws, not an ode to Uga and Hairy Dawg
  • The Mark Ultralounge, 79 Poplar St.
  • Haze @ Trademark, 91 Broad St... advertised as the premier club for urban gay black men in the city. When your girlfriend says she went to ATL for a fun time over the weekend, this is where she went.
  • Again, check out MetroMix- Atlanta

SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS:

  • The World of Coca-Cola! Come be bored by the history of coke, see copies of our annual shareholders reports, and hurry through the whole thing just to get to the part where you get to taste all the sugary goodness we serve overseas so we can keep China American!
  • Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site... some very fascinating and moving exhibits. Also explains the signs along I-65 they put up a few years back.
  • The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library... do we do these things for all of them? Really?!
  • Stone Mountain, its the Mount Rushmore of the Confederacy! Oh, you guys aren't in to that anymore? You have that obelisk for the South on your campus! What do you mine times have changed?! But seriously, it's interesting and offers great vistas of the city... a good Sunday activity between the games.
  • Centennial Olympic Park, very near the Georgia Dome and great place to ralph after you've had too much to drink

FUN FACTS:

  • We are the hometown of KEVIN WARE! He played basketball here as a high schooler, and he will be playing basketball here again soon. #win4ware, #L1C5, seriously, we're all praying for you Kevin and you make us proud to call ourselves Louisville Cardinals.
  • The last time this many people came down from up North along the L&N, it didn't end so well. In memorial, we hold a reenactment every year and burn the city to the ground.
  • In order to drum up business, the Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport hosted the 1996 Summer Olympics. Noted events include Kerri Strug landing a vault like Teddy Bridgewater, Nadia Comaneci doing the only thing anyone remembers the nation of Romania for, and Bob Costas being lost on the train between the terminals for about two weeks.
  • Chipper Jones is still a douche

We sure hope you CARDS fans enjoy your stay in Atlanta, and when you hang that banner up in Louisville... well, I just hit writers block. Nothing witty to say about that. We are going to win a National Championship, you guys (tears up). Let's do this.